Announcing the 2014 Small Business Week Honorees from the Santa Ana District

The U.S. Small Business Administration today is pleased to announce Small Business Week award recipients from the Santa Ana District.

Every year since 1963, the President of the United States has proclaimed National Small Business Week to recognize the contributions of small businesses to the economic well-being of America.

As part of National Small Business Week, the SBA recognizes this special impact made by outstanding entrepreneurs and small business owners.

In yet another strong showing, the Santa Ana District produced eight district winners, two Small Business Person of the Year finalists, and the California Small Business Persons of the Year (CASBPOY).  The CASBPOY will now compete for national honors in Washington, D.C.

The honorees are:

California Small Business Persons of the Year

Ricardo Robles, Rene Robles, Jackie Robles, Anita’s Mexican Food Corp.

Small Business Person of the Year – Finalist

John McCabe, McCabe’s Nursery & Landscape Construction

Small Business Person of the Year – Finalist

Rita M. Vigil-Ferguson, G&F Concrete Cutting, Inc.

District Director’s Award

Robert L. Dodge, Southland EDC

Women in Business Champion

Ursula Mentjes, Sales Coach Now

Financial Services Champion

Stacey L. Sanchez, CDC Small Business Finance Corp.

Veteran Small Business Champion

Michael Sabellico, Vanguard Global Solutions/OC Small Business Development Center/CADVBE

Minority Small Business Champion

Teresa Mercado, Santa Ana College / National Hispanic Business Women Association

Minority Small Business Champion

William N. Byers Jr., Explorer Studios

Exporter of the Year

Leah Martin, Fireblast Global

Small Business Development Center Excellence & Innovation Award

Ezekiel Bonillas, Coachella Valley Small Business Development Center

All honorees will be celebrated at the Small Business Awards luncheon on May 21st at Disney’s Grand Californian Hotel in Anaheim.

National Small Business Week will honor the estimated 27.2 million small businesses in America.  Small businesses are major contributors to the strength of the American economy.  More than half of Americans either own or work for a small business.  They also create 60-80 percent of new jobs in the country.

For media inquiries, including interviews with honorees, contact Christopher Lorenzana at 714.560.7453 or [email protected].

For more information about the awards luncheon, call (714) 953-4829 or email [email protected].